


(Playe)r (Chara)cter

by Waugh



Series: (But Somebody Came) [5]
Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Consequences, F/F, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Guilt, Multi, Other, Post-Pacifist Route, References to No Mercy Route, Second Person Narration
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-04
Updated: 2016-06-19
Packaged: 2018-05-18 04:05:47
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 13,078
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5897584
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Waugh/pseuds/Waugh
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>You live with the consequences.</p><p>(So does everyone else.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Begin at the [beginning](http://archiveofourown.org/works/5363186), friend. Be warned - it's a wild ride. :)

You are you and Chara is Chara, now. They stand on the path in front of you, smiling.

(You thought your head seemed awfully empty.)

In the absence of any better ideas, you stare at them, dumbfounded. Then you turn back to stare at the door for a moment. _Did the dog do this...?_ you wonder in something like hysteria.

Chara coughs politely at you. "Greetings," they say.

You smile back awkwardly. "Howdy..." you finally reply. "Nice to finally see you in the flesh... partner."

Chara attempts to take a step towards you. Their knees buckle, and they begin to tilt sideways. One arm raises in a desperate windmill.

You rush forwards and catch them. "Are you alright?" you ask, frowning.

Chara sags in your arms, leaning into your Temmie Armor. "No," they say, muffled. Then they start laughing.

They don't seem like they can stop, so you sigh, and you swing them up into your arms and onto your back.

Slowly, Chara's laughter turns to muffled sobs. You can feel wetness against your neck.

You awkwardly pat Chara on the head. Then you walk.

Snowdin's not too far off, after all, and it's too damn cold out for a ten year old in a light sweater. Ancient and undead or otherwise.

  


* * *

  


Your face is numb by the time you make it to the Snowed Inn, and Chara's fingers feel like ice against your skin. They're still shivering and complaining, though, so you're pretty sure they're fine. Well, will be fine, as soon as you get some hot chocolate into them.

You smile at the innkeeper and adjust your burden before requesting a room for the night.

The innkeeper smiles back at you, wishing you and Frisk well.

Chara flinches.

  


* * *

  


Chara is wrapped up like a blanket-burrito by the time you return with Cinnamon Bunnies and hot cocoa.

You offer them one of the cups, and they unwrap themselves enough to take it.

The two of you sit side by side and sip at your drinks.

You take a nibble of your Cinnamon Bunny. _Tasty,_ you think. You look sideways at Chara. They still don't look like they're doing so good.

"So," you say, looking over at them.

They look back at you.

You wait patiently for them to speak.

"What... happened?" Chara asks, staring at their hands. "I remember us opening the DOOR, but then... The dog... _did_ something. And I was..."

"The dog sent me back, I think," you say carefully. "To my world." That's not quite what happened, but it's close enough.

"So he _was_ the one that brought you here," Chara mutters. "But..." they look up at you. "You returned...?"

"I couldn't just leave you guys," you say, smiling wryly. Whether that world was an illusion or not; you're pretty sure you're stuck here, regardless. Whatever you and Gaster did to break out of it didn't have any takebacks. And the Toby Dog already gave you the PERFECT END.

You don't really want to think about it, so instead you gently tousle Chara's hair. "The goopy hands guy... he helped me get back. Turns out, there were a few things I'd forgotten."

"Oh," Chara says, swatting at your hand.

"You could have told me," you reply gently, nudging their side with an elbow.

"I know." Chara looks down again.

You are both silent for a moment, remembering.

(You're not sure how you can look anyone in the eye, now. Especially Frisk.)

You frown at the ground. Then you continue your story, "and when I came back, I shamed the dog."

Chara raises their head and squints at you.

"That's right," you say with a grin. " _Dogshaming._ It saved your bacon. And you know how much dogs just _love_ bacon."

Chara snorts at you.

It succeeds in breaking the mood. But there are things the two of you need to decide, and quickly. What to tell people is one of them.

You tell Chara as much while you play with your phone. (You have one new message, you note.)

Chara stares down at the blanket they're still wrapped in. "Do we have to...?" they ask, hugging themselves.

"You and Asriel just came back from the dead," you remind them gently. "Toriel and Asgore are going to want to see you. And then they're going to have questions."

Chara is silent.

"I don't know Asgore... at all, really," you say. "But Toriel... loves you. And I don't see her accepting anything less than the truth."

Chara pretends that they're not crying, but you can see them sniffling into their blanket.

"Think about it, kiddo," you say. You ruffle their hair again, then leave the hotel room to give them some privacy.

  


* * *

  


_Call me,_ the message from Alphys says. So you do.

The phone rings once. "Playe!!!" Alphys exclaims once she picks up. She sounds excited.

"What happened?" you ask anxiously. _If the cure for Asriel didn't work..._

"It worked!" Alphys squeals. "Complete success!!! Of course, he'll have to eat human food from now on, but - ! Compared to _melting - !"_

"Oh," you say. " _Oh - !"_ you exhale in relief. "Thank goodness."

"Th-this might even h-help the Amalgamates..." Alphys continues. "Human food! I-it seems so simple, in hindsight..."

You sag against the wall weakly. "So Asriel is okay, now?"

"C-completely fine... I'll want to keep him for observation for a few days, of course, j-just in c-case, but..." Alphys trails off. "He should be able to go home."

You close your eyes. _Thank god,_ you think. Or DOG, in this case.

"I, um, I know we didn't really have time before now, but can I a-ask... h-how... how did this... happen?!!"

"It's... kind of a long story," you tell her slowly. "But... it has to do with how the barrier broke. Asriel... is a bit of a side effect. It would be easier to tell you in person."

"Someone coming back from the dead is a bit of a side effect...?" Alphys asks. "Wh-where did you _go,_ anyway?"

You glance back at the hotel room door. "I went to see a dog," you tell her. "He couldn't do a thing about the man, but he helped with something else instead."

"That... doesn't sound r-real," Alphys tries to scold you. "Playe, this was important!"

"Alphys, I need to talk to Asriel for a minute," you say seriously. "I promise I'll tell you everything later."

"A-alright," Alphys says, trusting you. "B-but - ! You'd better keep your promise!"

You say you will, and Alphys gives the phone to Asriel.

"Playe!" Asriel says. "Alphys fixed it! I'm not going to become a flower again!"

"That's great!" you reply.

Asriel sniffles a bit. "I w-was so scared..." he says.

"I'll make sure to cook you lots and lots of human food," you promise. _Poor kid._

"Ugh," Asriel says. You can imagine him scrunching his face at the phone. "Human food is icky. But... I guess I need it from now on."

You laugh. "It's not so bad, except for the part where it goes through you," you say. "The fresh stuff is better."

"If you say so," Asriels replies doubtfully.

"Mmm." You clear your throat. "Asriel," you say seriously, "I have something to tell you."

"Yes...?" he says.

"Chara is alive again."

Asriel is silent for a long moment. "WHAT!!?" he shouts finally.

You wince away from the phone. "Chara is alive again," you repeat. "They have their own body now and everything."

You pull the phone away from your head to stem the tide of Asriel's questions, and open the hotel room door again.

Chara is still wrapped up in their blanket-burrito. But now they're staring at you. They look mad.

"Asriel wants to talk to you," you say, and you hand them your phone.


	2. Chapter 2

Chara isn't mad at you anymore when they're done speaking with Asriel.

Instead, they're just tired.

They crawl out of the blanket-burrito and into your lap.

"I'm sorry," they say. They sniff, blinking against more tears. "I messed everything up... Asriel forgave me, anyway. He shouldn't have."

You pat Chara's head. Fucking up isn't a contest, so you don't remind them about that time you took control of Frisk's body and killed everyone in your path. Instead...

"It's okay," you say. You slip their heart-shaped locket off of your neck and offer it to them.

Chara cups it in one hand, staring down at it.

"I know it doesn't seem like it now," you continue. "But it really is okay. Just... don't do that again, please."

Chara hunches their shoulders. But they put the locket on. "I want to see Mom," they say finally. "And I want to see Dad."

"Do you know what you want to say?" you ask. It might not be the wisest thing to do, you think, letting a kid take the lead on something like this - but it's Chara's life, after all. They're the one that has to live with it.

"We were an Amalgamate," Chara says, making a face. "Because you walked over my grave. You already told Shyren's sister that... And when Asriel came back, I came back too. After you got Asriel sorted, you came for me."

"You were in that Mysterious Cavern," you offer. "I didn't figure it out until then."

Chara nods. "I told you that the Cavern was someplace important to me, so that's how you knew to go there..."

It all sounds good to you so far.

"They don't need to know about SAVE or RESET," you say. You think you're both on the same page on that one, but want to make sure anyway.

"Or the first time around..." Chara adds softly.

You shake your head. "I'll apologize to Frisk," you say. "Otherwise they'll think it was you..."

"Frisk already knows..." Chara says. "They've known from the start."

"Oh," you say.

  


* * *

  


There's one more thing the two of you have to do in Snowdin before heading back to Alphys' lab.

It's a pretty important thing, too.

You knock on Sans' door, Chara peering out from behind you.

After a moment, he opens it.

"Hello, Playe. And -" Sans looks down at Chara and blinks. Then he looks back to you. "That's not Frisk," he says slowly.

"Hi, Sans," you say. You can feel your heart somewhere near your throat. "Is Toriel here? I have someone she'll want to see."

Instead of answering you, Sans squints at Chara. "You... look awfully familiar," he says.

"That is likely," Chara shrugs, trying to look unconcerned. "I believe Asgore still had some pictures up..."

"Asgore...?" Sans asks.

"Playe, you're back again already?" Toriel says from somewhere inside the house.

"Yep!" you say.

"And they brought a new human with them!" Sans adds.

"What?" Toriel says, appearing at the door. She goes still when she sees Chara.

"M-my child..." Toriel stutters, her eyes wide. "You're..."

Beside her, Sans' grin is frozen.

"I found Chara," you say. You give them a small push towards Toriel.

Chara stumbles forward, then looks up at Toriel. "Hi, Mom," they say in a small voice.

"My child," Toriel says again, shocked. She lifts Chara up in a hug. "You're alive!"

Chara burrows their face into Toriel's neck and hugs back with all their might.

"You're alive," Toriel repeats. "You're _alive._ "

Sans gaze darts between the two of you, totally confused.

"I..." still holding on to Chara, Toriel turns to you. " _How?_ " she demands.

"It's kind of a long story," you tell her. "You, ah, might... want to sit down, first."

The four of you end up seated around the kitchen table. Papyrus ducks his head in briefly, sees the serious expressions on everyone's faces, and ducks back out.

Toriel keeps on hand on Chara's, but turns her face to you.

"This is a miracle," she says, "but I did not live so long by taking everything at face value."

"Yeah," you agree, and you rub the back of your neck.

"You said you had a story to tell. So tell it." Toriel stares at you intently.

"I... have a question for you, first," you say. "Have you heard of DETERMINATION?"

Toriel just blinks at you, but out of the corner of your eye, you can see Sans turn completely motionless.

"No?" you ask to confirm. After they are both silent for a bit, you explain: "sometimes human SOULs have the ability to linger on after death. The more DETERMINED a human was while alive, the longer their SOULs last afterwards. And..."

"And?" Toriel prompts you.

"Sometimes, a particularly DETERMINED SOUL... has the power to take another human's body, under the right circumstances," you say. "We call it 'spirit possession.' It's somewhat similar... to being an Amalgamate." 

You're not sure what expression Sans has, but Toriel is looking at you with a dawning realization.

You smile at her. "I first became aware of Chara in Waterfall," you say. "They were with me up until the Barrier broke. After that..."

"You didn't say anything," Toriel whispers.

You grimace. "I was in a bit of a hurry," you explain. "Chara... isn't the only one who came back."

The table cracks under Toriel's grip.

"Alphys has him stabilized now," you continue, determined. "But it was touch-and-go for a while."

"Playe," Toriel says, slow and careful. _"Tell me."_

"Asriel is back, too," you tell her. "He's waiting for us in Alphys' lab in Hotland."

  


* * *

  


The four of you, and Papyrus, go to Hotland.

Toriel is, quite understandably, in a bit of a hurry.

She's not entirely happy with you.

You're not entirely happy with yourself, either.

  



	3. Chapter 3

Hotland is hot, and still confusing, even though you've wandered it at least a dozen times by now. Thankfully, the lab isn't hard to get to.

Chara's legs still weren't cooperating well when the five of you had set out, so Papyrus ended up giving them a piggyback ride.

His reaction to meeting Chara had been a bit comical.

  


* * *

  


"HELLO, PLAYE!" Papyrus said after Sans went and called him downstairs. "AND... HELLO HUMAN THAT IS NOT FRISK! HOW ARE YOU TODAY?"

"there sure are a lot of humans down here now!" he said to Sans in what was probably meant to be a whisper. "when did we start getting so many...? and why didn't we see any before?!!"

"Papyrus," Toriel said, "this is my child, Chara. They were away for a long time, but they're back now."

She squeezed Chara's hand. "Say hello, Chara."

"Greetings," Chara said.

You thought they looked a little intimidated. They had always liked Papyrus.

"HELLO, CHARA!" Papyrus said. "YOU CAME BACK AT A GOOD TIME! YOU'LL GET TO GO TO THE SURFACE WITH ALL OF US!"

"Yes," Chara agreed, looking awkward. They didn't quite know what to say.

"sans, Papyrus whispered, "if frisk is toriel's child... and chara is toriel's child... does this mean that they're siblings?!!"

"Yes," Sans had said.

"WOWEE!!!

  


* * *

  


Chara had looked startled at what Papyrus said, but also pleased. (You don't think they had thought of it like that, before.)

San had pulled Papyrus aside afterwards and explained more of what was going on. Afterwards, the younger (and taller) brother started pointing out everything new that had appeared since Chara's death. It was a touching (and tactful) way of dealing with what had happened - but not surprising, because Papyrus is Papyrus.

But while the two of them were occupied with stars and houses, you and Toriel and Sans trudged along side-by-side.

Toriel was focused on where you're heading, but Sans kept giving you these weird glances. Every time you turned to look at him, though, he always looked away.

You're pretty sure what you said before disturbed him. But you're not sure what he knows or what he's managed to piece together. It's more than a bit alarming.

_"You'd be dead where you stand,"_ he had said in a former life. He had told the truth. (You will never forget.)

But you figure that he knows you now, so... Well. Maybe that will make a difference. But then again, maybe not. He has more to lose now, after all.

Worse comes to worse, it's better you than Frisk or Chara, you suppose.

(You _are_ the anomaly, after all.)

When the five of you arrive at Alphys' lab, the lizard monster is already waiting for you. Beside her are Frisk and Asriel.

"Playe!" Alphys calls out. " _There_ you are!"

Asriel is bouncing on his toes. You're not sure if he wants to go to Toriel or Chara first.

Toriel solves the problem for him. "Asriel!" she calls, opening her arms.

Asriel runs to her, jumping into her embrace neatly. She twirls him around once, before picking up Chara and adding them in. The three of them are crying and laughing.

Frisk looks from you to the three of them, and then back to you. They seem a bit uncertain.

"Hey, kiddo," you say, wandering over. You put a hand on their head. Then you mess up their hair.

Frisk pouts up at you in mute protest.

"So that's Chara?" Alphys asks, looking over at the happy scene. "A-are they alright? Do they need help? I-I'm not familiar with human medicine, outside of books, that is - and I-I'm not quite sure how this is even _possible_ \- "

"They should be fine," you say, then stop. You don't really have any way of backing up your claim, you realize. Just this lingering... _certainty_ that the DOG wouldn't let anything bad happen. But strange feelings aren't exactly scientifically valid. "I think this had more to do with human magic than what you guys are probably familiar with."

It's as good an explanation as any, you figure.

"Human magic...?" Sans asks, appearing beside you.

You jump, clutching at your chest.

"But you don't know any magic!" Alphys says, exasperated with you. (Unlike you, she's learned to take Sans' sudden appearances in a stride.)

"I didn't have to," you say. "It wasn't the kind of magic you _know_ , it's the kind you just _do_."

You're not sure how you know this, but you're struck with the sudden conviction that you're _right_.

"I just... had a feeling," you continue awkwardly.

"This have anything to do with that 'spirit possession' you mentioned before?" Sans asks. His voice sounds disinterested, but you can see a gleam in his eye.

"Spirit possession...?" Alphys asks. Unlike the others she seems to be familiar with the term - you can see the recognition in her face. "You were possessed...?"

You shrug. "Probably," you say to Sans. "I've gotten... nudges before, but nothing that strong before Chara. It might have unlocked something."

_"Spirit possession?"_ Alphys asks you again. Her voice is considerably more demanding than before.

You wince.

"Playe, that's - !" Alphys sputters. "That's _dangerous!_ There are entire _genres_ that agree on that - you could have had your _body_ taken over, used like a _puppet_ \- !" 

"That only happens when the spirit is mad, and _really_ strong," you say, waving your hands. "It's just that you only hear about the ones who've died violently, most aren't like that - " The irony of that statement makes you falter a bit.

"You - !" Alphys interrupts, making a hand gesture at you. You're not sure what it means, but Papyrus covers Frisk's eyes, and even Sans looks momentarily surprised.

"It never occurred to you to ask for my help?" Alphys says. "Did you even _tell_ anyone?" For some reason she looks at Sans when she says this.

"Um..." you say. "No...?"

"Gaahh!" Alphys says, throwing up her hands. She stalks back into the lab, muttering under her breath.

You stare after her. You're not sure what you were expecting, but it sure hadn't been _that._

"Well, that went well," Sans says.

Frisk peeks out from beneath Papyrus's hands to raise an eyebrow at him.

  



	4. Chapter 4

You still owe Alphys an explanation for the whole Asriel thing, you remember, looking down at the ground. You sigh. It's been one round of explanations after another, and you're so _tired_ of it all.

It's been a very long couple of goddamn days.

Toriel walks up from behind you, Asriel and Chara still wrapped in her arms. Asriel is chattering away at her, telling her about Alphys and Frisk and _you._ Toriel takes a moment to smile at you, brief and brilliant, before following Alphys into the lab.

Frisk and Papyrus follow her in, and then it's just you and Sans standing outside.

You glance at him out of the corner of your eyes, and find him staring away again. He doesn't look angry, though, so much as wrapped in thought.

It feels like it's been ages since you've been scared of Sans, but really - _how long has it been since you fell down? One week? Two?_ \- it hasn't been that much time. You can still, feel, viscerally, his bone attacks lodged in your back, the sharp edges tearing _through_ you, into the ground - everything staining red -

A hesitant touch on your hand causes you to startle, and you step backwards, your hands raising up defensively.

Sans looks up at you, his hand still outstretched. He drops it, seemingly hunching in on himself. His grin looks brittle. "well, we'd better catch up," he says. "or Toriel and Paps will get to experience the wonders of anime first-hand."

You force a chuckle, your heart still beating somewhere near your throat. "Chara will flee screaming," you say. Your voice is steady, and you feel proud because of it. "But Frisk and Asriel seem to like it."

"fancy that," Sans says. He makes a sweeping gesture towards the door. "shall we?" he asks.

"Certainly," you reply. This time your chuckle is a bit more honest.

The two of you go inside.

Alphys's lab is still a mess, you note, but it's a bit more habitable than the last time you saw it. Instead of the haphazard seating from before, Alphys has pulled some chairs out of storage and pushed them a rough circle.

The other adults are already seated, while the three kids are conspicuously absent. Papyrus looks nervous to be included.

You pick out one of the few empty chairs, and Sans takes the remaining one to your left.

Alphys gives a polite cough. "W-well," she says, her voice suddenly horse. "Th-these have been a very busy couple of days, w-with the barrier falling, and, erm - everything else that's happened."

You all look at her, waiting for her to continue.

"T-there are, um, s-s-ome things that you need to know," Alphys says to Toriel.

"Dr. Alphys," Toriel says, "Playe has explained a bit: the breaking of the barrier acted as a catalyst, allowing their and Chara's SOULs to separate - and providing the power to re-embody Chara. They said that something different had happened with Asriel, however?"

"Y-yes," Alphys confirms. She swallows, and begins to tell the former Queen of just how the creature named "Flowey" came into existence.

  


* * *

  


At least you and Alphys are both in trouble together, you muse, while Toriel paces. She hadn't been particularly happy to hear that her eldest had spent the last five years as a golden flower.

Sans is watching her, concerned, while somewhere up above you Papyrus is talking with the person he used to know as "Flowery."

You glance up at the escalator to the second floor, wondering how Asriel is taking it. He befriended Papyrus in this timeline, you know, but you're pretty sure he's killed Papyrus in others. (Guilt is a difficult pill to swallow, something you're only just becoming familiar with.)

"S-so," Alphys says, glaring at you. "It's your turn to talk, now."

You smile at her wryly. "Are you sure you want to know?" you ask.

"Yes," she says, almost hissing the word.

You let out a long exhale of breath. Then you look over at Toriel. She's still pacing.

"Do you remember when you all came to save me from Asgore?" you begin, your voice low. "How you all got wrapped in vines? That was Flowey. He came to steal the human SOULs. He succeeded. Chara and I were able to talk him down, though. After that he broke the barrier." It's the shortest version of that story, and the one that doesn't involve the literal _God of Hyperdeath_.

"Playe," Alphys says quietly, "that's only six SOULs. Even though Asriel still had his as a flower, that wouldn't have been enough power to shatter the barrier."

You bite your lip. You probably shouldn't tell her this, but... Hell, it's Alphys. If anyone knows about second chances, it would be her.

"No," you confirm. "But those six SOULs _were_ enough for him to absorb the SOULs of every monster in the Underground." Except Napstablook, for some reason.

"I... _What?_ " Alphys squeaks loudly.

Sans looks over curiously, and even Toriel stops her pacing.

Alphys waves them off. " _What?_ " she asks again, her voice near a whisper.

"He absorbed the SOULs of every monster in the Underground," you say again. "I... It was a bit of a process, getting you all back."

You can feel her astonished eyes on you, and you suppress a flinch. You've always tried your best to be honest, recent lies of omission aside, and the idea that she might not believe you makes you feel a hard knot of hurt somewhere deep in your chest.

"S-so that was - " Alphys trails off. She swallows. "I-I can't remember a lot," she says, starting again, "but I remember darkness... and f-feeling w-worthless a-and numb... There was a voice that said... that I was w-worth something, and that they would support me no matter what... That... was you?"

"Yeah," you say. You blink away a few stray tears. "That was me."

"Playe..." Alphys says, blinking away tears of her own. She hugs you. " _Thank you._ "

  


* * *

  


"Dr. Alphys and Playe seem to get along fairly well," Toriel says to Sans. "They are... friends?"

"yeah, looks that way," Sans replies, looking over at the two. They've moved on from whispering, and are now hugging each other. He feels a twinge of jealousy, and he suppresses it ruthlessly. He has no right to feel this way, and besides, Alphys and Undyne have been pining after each other for ages. _Even with Alphys hero-worshipping them, there wasn't a chance that she would - I mean, if she was interested, she would have said something - wait, didn't Papyrus say something about the two of them going on a_ date?

Toriel's ears droop low. "I must apologize to Playe," she confesses. "I have not been fair to them, when they have done so much."

"hey, that's not true," Sans says. "well, maybe a bit of an apology... but I'm sure playe understands. It's been an action-packed couple of days." Toriel had gone through so much in her life, Sans thinks, and now, leaving her quiet life in the RUINS behind to save Playe and Frisk, seeing the barrier break, and having her kids _come back to life_ \- well, it was an emotional time.

Toriel straightens herself, and squares her shoulders. "Still, that is no excuse," she says. "And no way to treat family."

"That's right," Sans says. "you're all going to be living with each other soon enough." He looks up at the roof above where the three kiddos are doing... Something. Probably involving some sort of cartoon... He spares a momentary prayer that whatever it is, it won't corrupt Paps any more than he's already been corrupted.

"You know," Toriel says, looking at him slyly. "You're welcome to join us. You and Papyrus both."

Sans blinks in surprise. "all of us living together?" he asks uncertainly.

"It's just an idea!" Toriel says, laughing lightly. "I just... Thought it would be nice. All of us under one roof, together..." she trails off, looking wistful.

Sans feels a twinge in his chest at the image. "how many bedrooms would that need?" he asks, jokingly, to take his mind off of it. "just warning you: Paps doesn't sleep. At all. _Ever_."

Toriel smiles at him, as beautiful and brilliant as the sun he's only just now discovered, and he's _lost_.

"I'll have to run it by Papyrus first," Sans says finally. He'd worked hard to get the two of them their own place in Snowdin, but they'd need a new place on the Surface, too. It might be a terribly bad idea, but...

"but... Where do we sign up?"

  



	5. Chapter 5

The next few weeks don't go anything like you expect them to. (Not that you really had any expectations - you left the PLOT behind long ago, the politics of the situation so far are entirely out of your depth.)

After meeting with Alphys and retrieving Asriel and Frisk, Toriel bit the bullet and called Asgore to let him know that his children were alive again.

He had been overjoyed - and horrified. It had taken the combined efforts of Alphys and Undyne to convince him that, no, it wasn't his fault that he hadn't recognized the golden flower as his son. But, from the anguished look in his eye as he hugged Chara, it was clear that that wasn't the only thing that was bothering him.

The return of the heirs, and the preparations for the move to the Surface, brought the Underground into a whirlwind of activity. One that you seemed to be in the center of.

A number of historical and legal texts had made it down over the centuries, but the monsters were at a loss as to how to interpret some of them. For that, they turned to you. You spent several days holed up with the royal advisors, separating out the fiction from the non-fiction and providing insight where you could.

(There was much you couldn't give them. You don't know what you don't know.)

With the plan worked out to most everyone's satisfaction, a small group ventured up to the Surface to open communications with the humans - and you and Asgore were among them. (Toriel wanted to go too, you remember, but Sans convinced her to stay. Somebody needed to be there, after all, in case something bad happened up above.)

When Asgore strode into your town, you were honestly terrified that some idiot would try to shoot him. Someone nearly did, before you talked him down.

The human world fell into a bit of an uproar at the re-discovery of monsters, who had long since descended into myth.

You and Frisk, thought to be lost for dead, ended up in a bit of a spotlight.

(You were right when you thought that this would was not your own - the history is different, down to the shape of the continents. But there was a person with your name, your face, and your past. And everyone thinks that person is _you_.)

After a solid week of panic, misinformation, and media frenzy, the human government formally entered into an agreement with the Monster Kingdom. Mt. Ebott and its surrounding territory would be repatriated to the monsters, as payment for the war crime of banishing them underground. The monsters would also be granted citizenship status and full rights.

While Asgore was busy organizing the rebuilding of the Capitol on the outside of the mountain; a number of impatient monsters descended upon your small town, eager to discover all that the Surface world had to offer.

  


* * *

  


Your small home was never meant to house this many people, you reflect one morning as you look over the assortment of sleeping bags and air mattresses covering your living room floor. In one corner is the tent, where Chara and Asriel are bunked. (Papyrus the insomniac had been banished to the guest room/office on the first night.)

You wander back into the kitchen, where Toriel is making breakfast. She's using the oven, you notice, instead of fire magic. (It's not necessary, really, but you appreciate her consideration.)

The two of you wish each other a good morning, and you get started making coffee.

Papyrus is the next one to join you in the kitchen, and he pouts when you move the coffee pot out of his reach.

"You don't need any," you inform him, as you take a sip out of your own mug.

The kids are already up and eating by the time Sans rolls out of bed. He stares blearily at the lot of you, while you pour him a cup of caffeine.

"Thanks," he says when you hand it to him. He joins you at the counter, and the two of you sit in a companionable silence as Toriel bustles around helping the kids get ready for their trip to New Capitol.

It's Asgore's turn to take them this weekend, and Undyne promised an adventure.

  


* * *

  


It turns out that coming back from the dead requires a lot of paperwork. You sit at your desk and frown at the pile of forms spread out in front of you. At least your bank accounts hadn't been canceled, you think. And you still have your job, not that you really need it anymore.

(Monsters have a lot of gold, after all. And they are so very, very grateful.)

"MAIL'S HERE!" Papyrus shouts from down the hall. "PLAYE, MOST OF THESE LETTERS ARE FOR YOU!!!"

You sigh. The worst part of all of the media-frenzy had been all of the old "friends" coming out of the woodwork. People who had been perfectly happy to ignore or gossip about you behind your back, but were suddenly all smiles now that you were someone "interesting." You hated opening the mail.

(You didn't even want to contemplate looking at your social media.)

Still, you trudge into the kitchen where Papyrus is sorting through the mail. Most of the letters rate only a quick glance before they end up in the trash. (Papyrus winces each time you throw one out - you feel a bit guilty, but not guilty enough to stop.)

One of the letters looks official, though, and this one you treat with a bit more respect.

You ease it open, flick open the folded page, and stare at its contents for a full minute before Papyrus nervously asks you what's wrong.

"I've just been awarded custody of Frisk," you say in shock.

Frisk's birth family had been full of assholes, you knew. And their foster families weren't much better, from what you understood.

You aren't surprised that they were up for adoption.

You are a bit surprised that you've been awarded custody of them - especially considering that you haven't filed for it. (Toriel was supposed to.)

But sure enough, when you go to check, there is an application with your signature on it and a list of dates for interviews you never had with caseworkers you've never met. A little stamp on the form says "Expedited."

It seems the DOG isn't done with you, yet.

  


* * *

  


Toriel is happy that you were able to adopt Frisk. It seems that she's run into problems with Chara's legal status, and that's been complicating everything. She just didn't want to worry everyone by complaining.

You feel a bit relieved by this.

"Coming back from the dead is complicated," you say. And you immediately feel like a heel for it.

But Toriel only laughs. "Countries have gotten so big, compared to what they once were," she says. "It is understandable that the... unusual situations may take some effort to correct for."

And isn't that an understatement.

Frisk's reaction... is a bit more complicated.

  



	6. Chapter 6

"Hey, Frisk," you say after the kids come home from the Capitol. "You want to hang out for a bit?"

They nod, moving over to where you're sitting at the kitchen table.

But when they get there, Frisk just glances up at you then back towards the ground. They keep standing.

After a few more seconds you wave at the chair across from you, and Frisk finally takes a seat.

"Is there any place you'd like to go?" you ask.

Frisk frowns at the table for a moment, then shakes their head.

"What about that new Nice Cream place?" It's only an hour and a half before dinner-time, and so you lean forward and whisper confidentially, "I won't tell Toriel if _you_ won't."

You catch a quick hint of a smile before it disappears.

It's a bit worrying, but it's enough of an agreement (Frisk really likes the Nice Cream place, after all) and after a quick shout to let the other know you're going out, the two of you are off.

Your mountain town is small, and you live somewhere near the heart of it. It's great for walking, and so you do.

"Chara and Asriel aren't coming?" Frisk asks when the both of you hit the sidewalk. It's the first thing they've said to you all day.

"No, not today," you say. "I thought it'd be nice for the two of us to have some one-on-one time. Besides, they have that thing they were going to do." You're still not clear on what that thing was, exactly, but Chara said that they were going to do it. So.

"Oh," Frisk says.

You glance down, and they look thoughtful.

The two of you continue in silence until you come to an intersection. "Time to cross the street," you say, holding out your hand. Frisk takes it, and you cross.

From there, the Nice Cream guy's shiny new storefront is just a quick stroll through the park.

The Doggi are there, playing fetch with each other, while Endogeny oozes and vibrates from the cover of the trees. A glob of ectoplasm rains down from the branch where it's sitting and then mists away into nothing.

You and Frisk wave at them, and they wave back.

"It's nice weather out," you say when you arrive at the Nice Cream place. "We can sit in the park after Nice Cream, if you'd like."

Frisk just shrugs.

_Oh, dear,_ you think. It seems like you and Frisk really needed to talk after all.

The door chimes a happy note when you open it, and the Nice Cream guy perks up.

"My best customers!" he says cheerfully. "What can I get for you today?"

You reach down and tousle Frisk's hair. "Wha'cha want, kiddo?"

"Um..." Frisk squints at the selection behind the glass, then points.

"Snowdin Summer Storm? Good one," you say. "I think I'll have that, too."

The Nice Cream guy fills two cones with Snowdin Summer Storm, wrapping them carefully in Nice Paper™. You pay, tousling Frisk's head once more, and the two of you head back to the park.

Frisk is staring at their ice cream determinedly, and in the interest of avoiding any more eating-while-walking incidents, you shoo them over to a bench.

The next few minutes are spent chasing the rapidly melting Nice Cream around the cone before it melts all over your hands. (And your pants. And the bench...) When the top of the Nice Cream is safely inside the cone, you take a second to look at the sky through the trees and listen to the chirping of the birds.

Next to you, Frisk chomps down on the last of their Nice Cream Cone, rolling out their Nice Paper™ to read the message written on it.

"You deserve a hug!" you read out loud. "Yep, sounds about right," you say. And you give them one, carefully holding your Nice Cream away from them.

When you let go, Frisk is looking at the ground again.

"Okay, kiddo, what's wrong?" you ask. You were going to take this time to tell them that you've suddenly (and not-so-mysteriously) become their parent, but whatever has Frisk so concerned should really be dealt with first.

Frisk flinches at your question. "Nothing," they say, unconvincingly.

"Hey, you know, you can tell me anything," you tell them. "I promise."

"You promise?" Frisk asks, looking up at you.

"I promise," you nod.

"Do you pinky swear?" they ask you seriously.

"I pinky swear," you say solemnly, holding out your pinky finger.

Frisk giggles, then shakes your pinky with their own.

"Okay," you say, "that means that you can absolutely tell me anything and no takebacks."

Frisk is quiet for a long moment. You wait patiently, giving them the time to get their thoughts together.

"Toriel doesn't want me anymore," they say finally, fiddling with their Nice Paper™. "I have to find someplace else to go."

"She doesn't?" you ask. That was absolutely not true. But from what you know of kids, just telling Frisk that wouldn't do any good.

"No," Frisk says. "She has her own children back, now. Asriel... and Chara."

"Why can't she keep all of you?" you ask. "She seems to really like having you all there."

Frisk shakes their head. "Flowey... he said I was just a replacement. That she'd forget all about me..."

"Flowey was wrong about a lot of things," you say. He was quite the liar, that flower.

"You don't want me, either," Frisk says miserably. "Now that Chara has their own body, I'm not..."

"Frisk," you say. "I do want to keep you. That's what I brought you here to tell you. I've adopted you. You're mine now - there's no escape."

Frisk starts shaking after that.

You're about to ask them if they're okay, when they -

"No," Frisk says, "no, that's not true - you never wanted - you never wanted _any_ of us, you were just going to _leave_ after - if it hadn't had been for Chara you would have just - "

"Frisk," you say, reaching out your hand.

"No," Frisk says, shaking their head back and forth. "Nonononononononono - "

They take off running.

_Ah, crap,_ you think, and you run after them.

  


* * *

  


The problem with running after small children, you muse as you lean against a tree trunk, panting, is that they're not only faster and more agile than you, they also have more endurance. That was quite the benefit in the underground, but it's come back to bite you in the butt now.

An idea strikes you, and you pull out your phone. A quick "Find your Child" check brings up... your home.

"Dammit," you say. Frisk must have left their cell behind. _So much for that idea._

You spend the next several minutes staring at the ground, hoping against hope that Frisk would suddenly come to their senses and find you. But no, the small child continues to be lost in the deep, rapidly darkening woods.

There's really only one thing to do at this point.

So you do.

The number's already in your contacts list, so all it takes is one tap of your finger.

The phone rings twice, then picks up.

"hey, Playe. Tori and the kids were just asking what was taking you and Frisk so long. Did the Nice Cream guy give you a _replay_ of his latest attempt to woo that cat that works for MTT?"

"Hey, Sans?" you say, a bit nervously. "I've got a bit of a situation on my hands. I think I'll need your help for this one."

  



	7. Chapter 7

You explain the situation to Sans as quickly and succinctly as possible.

There is a long pause on the other end of the line, until...

"I'll be right over," Sans says finally.

You don't ask how he'll know where you are. You suspect you don't really want to know the answer. ( _Magic,_ some echo of Chara whispers. _Dummy._ )

"Thanks," you say.

  


* * *

  


The sun is setting, and you're back in the civilized part of the park. Waiting. You feel distinctly uncomfortable, like you should be out there doing something. _Anything._ But you've already done your part. And the only thing going back out would accomplish would be getting _you_ lost, too.

So instead you wait. And you trust that Sans will bring Frisk home.

  


* * *

  


You hear them arrive before you can see them. The scuff of feet and the rustling of the leaves wake you out of your daze, and your eyes dart to the line of trees just in time to see Frisk climb through.

You jump to your feet, then force yourself to walk - _not run, don't scare them_ \- towards them.

"I'm sorry," Frisk says, meeting you halfway. "Sorrysorrysorrysorry - " their burrow their head into your waist as they wrap their arms around you in a hug.

You reach down, hugging them back awkwardly. "Hey, I'm glad you're okay," you say, whispering for some reason. Your throat feels tight, and your eyes sting with unshed tears. "Just... don't do that again, okay? My heart can't handle it."

"I'm _sorry,_ " Frisk repeats.

"You mind telling me what that was about, kiddo?" you ask.

"I..." Frisk starts, staring off into the woods. "Sans told me that I needed to tell you. But..."

"But?" you ask.

"I don't want to."

_Ouch,_ you think to yourself. But you ask. "Frisk, why did you run away?"

"You. You were going to leave," Frisk says. "After the barrier broke. Toriel asked what we were going to do and you looked at me and asked, 'Frisk, do you want to live with Toriel?' And Toriel thought you meant the both of us, but it had nothing to do with you at all! You were just going to _leave,_ because you _'had places to go!'_ "

"Frisk," you say, swallowing around the lump in your throat. "You know, that wasn't my choice, right? I'm not..." And here you pause. You're not sure to what degree Frisk knows what you are or what you are not. Chara knows, because you are you and Chara is Chara, but Frisk...

"I know!" Frisk says, crying. "I know you're not! I'm sorry..."

"I don't like making promises I can't keep, kiddo," you say, because you have to. "After the barrier broke, I didn't know if I would still be... Here. For much longer."

If you hadn't have gone to meet the DOG, actually, you probably wouldn't be. It's a sobering thought.

"Hey," you say, and you crook a smile at them. "I know there's some... some things that we don't talk about. I'm sorry too, okay? For..."

There's a lot that you're sorry for. You're not sure you can put the enormity of it into words.

"The first time around wasn't so fun, huh?" you say. Your voice is a bit shaky.

Frisk sniffs pathetically at you. "You remember, now?" they ask you.

You remember - _theflashoffirethestenchofburnedmeatblackofthevoidrageanddustscreamsinthebackofyourhead - "Do you believe that anyone has the potential to change?"_

"Yes," you say.

"You RESET," Frisk said. "At the end, after we beat Flowey the first time... You wanted... You said you wanted 'to make things right.'"

"That doesn't get me off the hook, kid," you say. "I'm sorry I hurt you, okay? And everyone else, but especially you."

"Toriel... killed you," Frisk said. "And you... you were just trying to protect me."

"That doesn't mean you weren't hurt," you say gently.

Frisk is silent.

"Just... think about it, kiddo. Okay?"

  


* * *

  


What you don't know is this:

Just on the other edge of the trees is a skeleton.

He heard everything.

  



	8. Chapter 8

Everyone fusses when you and Frisk make it back from the park.

"Oh, I'm so glad you're alright, my child!" Toriel says, inspecting Frisk for scratches and bruises. "When Sans told me that you had gotten lost, I was so worried!"

"I can believe you two got lost in the _park,_ " Chara says, shaking their head at you.

'You _would,_ ' you can almost hear them add.

You shrug. You don't know exactly what Sans told Toriel, but it seems to have been the version with the least amount of drama attached.

You catch a glimpse of the skeleton in question out of the corner of your eye, but he disappears before you have a chance to thank him.

Papyrus comes in from the kitchen, a large pot of spaghetti in tow. He announces that dinner is ready, and everyone troops to get their share.

(It's surprisingly edible, now that Toriel's taken over his cooking "lessons" from Undyne.)

When you make it to the kitchen, you notice that Sans' place has been cleared of place-mat and dishes.

Papyrus informs the rest of the table that his brother has gone to do "SUPER-SECRET SCIENCE STUFF WITH ALPHYS!"

He should be back in a few days.

  


* * *

  


The next day, you and Toriel spend the afternoon poking through your (rather tiny and pathetic) backyard. She seems certain that you have exactly the right space to grow a fairly decent garden, but you're a bit more skeptical. (You've always had something of a black thumb, to be honest.)

"Asriel will enjoy it," she says. "He always loved gardening, he and Asgore - " she cuts herself off here, looking annoyed at herself for mentioning her ex-husband. "I mean," she continues, "there is so much good sunlight! And such nice soil. I'm sure Asriel will be able to make something out of it."

You nod. You think about asking her what he'll do with the garden when they move out into their own place, but something stops you. _"And Toriel thought you meant both of us - "_

"This house is a bit small for seven people," you say instead. "We might be getting a bit ahead of ourselves, here."

You hadn't really thought about much about it. But you suspect you haven't been as good a friend to Toriel as you should have been.

(She's not the only one who killed you, after all. And she saved you in the end.)

"You were thinking of moving elsewhere?" Toriel asks, looking worried. "I do not want to make you give up your home!"

"It's just a place," you say with a shrug. "What matters most are the people you're with."

  


* * *

  


You and Toriel (and Papyrus) start combing through the house listings to see if there's anything suitable nearby. There isn't, as it turns out - too much demand in too small a market - but home builders had started to descend on Mt. Ebott en masse.

You run across a few particularly sleazy examples of the kind (who seem to believe they can charge _three times the market value_ without anyone noticing) before settling on a nice one from the city a few hours away.

Papyrus has a few ideas for the architectural plans. They involve parts of a _pirate ship,_ and Chara thinks they are _excellent._ (You've always been on the pirate side of the pirates vs. ninjas debate, so you can't complain.) Toriel seems a bit taken aback by some of them, but laughs and adds some unique touches of her own.

(If the end result looks a bit like the skeletons' house back in Snowdin, nobody says anything. Getting to the Surface might have been a long-time dream, but everyone gets a bit homesick sometimes.)

You do have to correct the designs so they include several bathrooms. Even if that involves biting the bullet and finally explaining just what it is that humans _do_ in there.

Of course, building a house also involves buying a property. The builder ends up taking all six of you (Sans is still visiting Alphys or he'd be invited, too) up the mountainside to look at a few larger lots that are farther away from town.

Most of them are so-so - either the view isn't all that great, or the road leading up is long and winding and likely to be particularly treacherous in the winter, or the soil is too thin and rocky to support the kind of garden Toriel wants for Asriel.

But you do come across one that's not too far away from town. When you exit the van you can hear the quiet roar of a nearby river, and the builder tells you that it's on the property. There are a few rocks in the soil, but Asriel seems enthused by the patches of wild berries growing nearby. (Apparently that's a good sign?)

You gaze down at the valley from the proposed build sit, the mountains framing the town below. The sun starts to slip below the horizon, throwing everything into stark relief.

It already feels like home.

Frisk walks up next to you and tugs on your shirt.

"Yes?" you say.

"I like this one."

And that's that.

  


* * *

  


The six of you make it back, a downright _giddy_ feeling in the air. You're getting a new house!

You're a bit worried about the timeline; since according to the builder it'll take about a year or so to construct and that's a long time for seven people to stay in a one-bedroom, one-bathroom, one-office house, but eh. The others don't seem to mind too much, and when you get particularly claustrophobic (and you _will,_ you know) you can always leave for a quick hike on the mountain.

Toriel unlocks the door, and the kids follow her in.

"PLAYE, ARE YOU COMING?" Papyrus asks.

"I think I'll stay out a little longer and enjoy the weather," you say. The night is cool and crisp against your skin, and above you the stars are twinkling _just right._

Nights like these are the reason you moved to this small mountain town in the first place.

"OKAY!" Papyrus says, and goes inside.

You stay behind, lingering for a few more minutes, staring up at the sky.

Somewhere off to your right, a branch snaps, and you tense involuntarily.

"Oh, hey, Sans," you say, relaxing when you see him there. "You surprised me!"

Sans is silent for a long moment, and you realize that his eyes have gone dark.

"playe... we need to talk."

  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for the delay, guys! The past few weeks have been a bit crazy... Good, but crazy!


	9. Chapter 9

"About what?" you ask, laughing lightly. You're feeling a bit panicked at the moment. Every slip you've made is flashing through your mind - _were there really so many?_ \- and suddenly you know that he _knows._

"We're building a house," you say, and you grin at him. "You disappeared on us, or else you'd have been invited. Don't worry too much - Papyrus insisted that you have your own workshop/shed in the backyard. The nautical theme was all Toriel's idea, though."

Sans' gaze drops to the side,  a n d  h e _flinches._

You stop speaking, dread pooling in your stomach.

"playe," Sans says, swallowing. "I heard you. That night."

"Oh," you say. You feel a bit numb.

"there's..." Sans starts to speak, then cuts himself off, frustrated. "There's a few things that _we_ don't really talk about _either,_ huh?" he says.

"No," you agree quietly.

"Let's... Not here, okay? Somewhere else...? I... Know a shortcut."

He looks nervous and almost sweaty, waiting for your answer.

You have a sneaking suspicion that you are _not_ about to be brutally murdered.

"Okay," you say.

  


* * *

  


It is three minutes later, and you are seated at a corner booth at Grillby's new bar and restaurant at the New Capitol.

The two of you carefully avoid looking at each other until Grillby comes over to take your orders. You both order the usual.

"So," you say finally, as Sans taps his fingers against the table. "You wanted to talk?"

(It's a good thing Grillby only serves magic-based food products, you reflect, since you still feel a bit like you want to throw up.)

"Yes," Sans says.

You wait a moment.

Then you wait several more.

There's a _clink_ as Grillby sets your drinks down on the table, and the both of you jump. The fire monster eyes the two of you strangely, but you're rescued when a customer at the bar flags him down for a refill.

Sans chuckles a bit, then coughs. "wow, I'm bad at this. So, um, talking. Uh. Have you - First, I need to ask if you've - have you ever heard of the multiverse theory? Because if you have - if you have, I, uh." he breaks off and coughs again.

"I, I've heard of it, yeah," you confirm.

"I, uh, I used to be a scientist, a while back. I - you know, that I used to work with Alphys? She told you."

She did. You nod.

"we, uh, did a bit of work in that field, due to, ah, _reasons._ And as part of it, I had this machine. It would let me look sideways, a bit, not too far, just into timelines that were slightly different from this one."

That... was an incredible feat of engineering, to be honest. Of course, it was a world where magic was literally real, so you couldn't say for sure if it was really all that impressive by local standards, but -

"and it was neat at first. Pretty usual stuff - there was one universe where we were all evil, which was pretty weird, and one where all our personalities were switched, which was actually weirder - but everything worked pretty much how you'd expect, you know?"

"Yeah," you say. Your knowledge comes from fictional storytelling tropes, but you'll take what you can get at this point.

"but one day, I notice this, this _anomaly._ A universe that I saw, one that looked just like ours, only a bit ahead, it just disappeared and I couldn't find it again. Only it wasn't the only time this happened. It happened again and again."

"Huh," you say. You're pretty sure what he's describing had to do with Flowey - with the RESETS. It... sounds pretty damn chilling, looking at it from the outside.

"Then I noticed that these universes, they all had one thing in common. Before they disappeared, there was this... Talking flower. It would pop up, making its way towards the castle, then vanish. And after it vanished, the universe would vanish, too."

"So I started keeping an eye out for this flower. And whenever I saw it in a universe I knew that universe's days were numbered. And I started thinking - what if that flower came to _our_ universe? So, I went and told Alphys about it. And she, ah, helped me keep an eye on things."

By setting up a system of CCTV cameras literally _everywhere._ Which, in hindsight, was pretty creepy.

"I was a bit surprised, after that, to see a _human_ show up in one of those universes. That human was, well, they looked a bit like Frisk. But also _not,_ you know. Like there was something wrong with them, something _off._ They didn't seem like they were really human anymore. And, everyone that got in their way..."

Here Sans trails off, looking at the table. "Well, you know what happened to them, don't you?" he asks.

"Yeah," you say. You clear your throat. "Yeah, I do."

"They made it into the king's castle. And then that universe... It vanished, too." Sans swallows. "So, I, uh, I wasn't too happy when I saw a human come through the RUINS. Our RUINS."

You look at him.

"I... I'm sorry, Playe," he says, and he looks haunted. "I didn't understand. What really happened, before. Why... Why the human - Frisk - _you_ \- would do... _that._ I'm _so sorry._ "

"And then you had to go through all of _that_ and I never even _helped you_."

  


* * *

  


The two of you end up getting your dinner in to-go boxes when Sans starts crying and can't get himself to stop.

Grillby glares down at you as he hands you the check. You pay, gathering up your things, and guide Sans after you.

The two of you get more than a few concerned looks as you make your way out.

There's a relatively abandoned park not too far away from Grillby's, and that's where you head. You nudge Sans onto one of the park benches, handing him a napkin from inside.

He wipes his eyes with it, taking several deep, raspy breaths.

"I don't know how you can even _look_ at me," he says in a surprisingly clear voice.  "You kept _dying_ and I did _nothing._ "

He pauses, takes another breath, and adds, "And Frisk, Frisk said that Toriel _killed_ you."

"I think just about the only people who haven't killed me are Papyrus and Alphys," you reply lightly.

Sans flinches, and you know that hadn't been the right thing to say.

"We can leave," he offers. "You don't... You don't have to keep _pretending._ No one will hurt you. Anymore."

  



	10. Chapter 10

You get Sans back to the house in one piece, then you take some time to think about what he's said.

The thing is... he wasn't wrong. It's not entirely untrue that you've been pretending.

From the beginning, you knew what you had to do. To get the ending you wanted, there was only one road to walk. One path to take.

And you did.

You befriended them. Even the ones who hurt you. Even the ones that hurt _Frisk._

Mentally, you might not blame them. Mentally, you might understand.

But that doesn't mean you weren't hurt.

And that doesn't mean you don't have to live with the consequences.

  


* * *

  


You return to the mountain.

  


* * *

  


There are things you haven't dealt with, you muse as thread your way through the winding path. And then there are things you can't. (No shrink is qualified to handle what you've been through - Jungian or otherwise.)

You feel a bit bad about disappearing so suddenly that morning, but if you had stayed to tell them where you were going... you wouldn't have been able to handle it. You almost couldn't handle writing the note.

You feel as if you are glass figurine instead of a human - gossamer-thin and cracked through the center. The slightest of touches would be enough to shatter you now.

(You couldn't afford to _feel,_ before. But now that you are _safe_...)

It all comes back around.

  


* * *

  


You make camp on a lonely plateau. The trees are thin at this elevation, but the scrub brush is everywhere, and in the end you just pick the spot that has the least vegetation.

The sun sets, and you watch the stars come out.

You sit in the dark until you are too tired to go on.

  


* * *

  


The next day, you find the cave.

  



	11. Chapter 11

There is a cavern, and there is a body.

It looks an awful lot like yours.

"Oh," you say.

You should have figured it out sooner, really.

 _"Did you think you were above the consequences?"_ the DOG of this world had said.

He wasn't talking to _you._

  


* * *

  


The basic idea of the multiverse theory is that, in layman's terms, everything that _could_ have happened, _has_ happened.

It just happened somewhere else.

You remember it like this.

In one world - _your_ world - you were going for a hike. Several days on the mountain, just you and your backpack.

You were on a narrow pass when a storm kicked up out of nowhere. You were happy to find the cave tucked away into the side of the cliff.

You weren't expecting the drop on the other side.

  


* * *

  


It starts with a single event.

You fell. Your legs broken, you cried out for help.

(But nobody came.)

In one world - _your_ world - that was the end.

In another, your spirit found Frisk.

 _"Your power has resurrected me from death..."_ a Chara-who-is-not-your-Chara once said to a Playe-who-is-not-you.

_"Now let us destroy this wretched world, and move on to the next."_

You remember.

This was never about a game.

  


* * *

  


You are still staring down at the body - _your_ body - when the DOG appears.

"Do you understand now?" it asks.

"No," you say. You want to feel surprised, but instead you just feel numb. "I... I was _dead._ Why bring me back? Why bring me _here_ \- why bother with me at all when _this_ Playe - "

"What makes you think you're any different?" the DOG asks you curiously.

"I - " you break off into a sharp, ugly laugh. "I can honestly say I've never destroyed an entire _world._ " you say.

"No," the DOG agrees. "You didn't. Even at your worst."

"You called me here, made me go through all of _this_ \- dying, and, _and_ \- it was because some alternative _version_ of me did - " you break off, your eyes stinging and your throat raw.

"The GAME needed a PLAYER," the DOG says, infuriatingly calm. "You told me that yourself. Who do you think I should have picked?"

  


* * *

  


When it is later and the DOG is gone, and you have gone hoarse screaming at the ceiling, there is something else you need to do.

There is still a corpse at your feet, after all.

"How many worlds have you destroyed?" you ask, kneeling down next to it. "And why did you drag _me_ into your nonsense?"

The corpse, of course, is silent.

You snap the latex gloves from your first aid kit over your hands, and take a firm grip of its clothes. Then you begin the slow and tedious process of dragging it outside.

It only takes a few hours to build the cairn. It isn't much of a burial, but it'll do.

  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Changed a few lines as of 4/26, for clarity.


	12. Chapter 12

You're still not ready to go back, but do you call the others to make sure they're not worried. You have three kids to reassure (and oh, _god,_ Frisk doesn't need this right now) and you're pretty sure Sans thinks you hate him.

(You don't know exactly what it is you feel for him, but you know it isn't hate.)

Because you do not want to go down, you instead go further up. The construction on New Capitol is as busy as ever, but by the time you reach it it's the end of the day and the workers' bustle is coming to a close.

It's easy to get lost in the crowd. Still, you make your way to the foundations of the New Castle, and the small house in front of the castle where the king is currently living. You stop in front of his door.

You haven't spoken much with Asgore. He seemed like a good person, overall. Friendly, kind, compassionate, an excellent Dad and king. But he's done some horrible things. The two of you have that much in common.

"Come in!" Asgore calls when you knock on the door.

You do, loitering awkwardly in the hallway. You're not sure why you've come, other than that it seemed... Fitting.

"Would you like some tea...?" Asgore asks bustling into view. He trails off when he sees you standing there. "Ah, Playe," he says. "Hello."

"Hello," you say back.

The two of you stare at each other for a moment.

"Did one of the children leave something behind?" Asgore asks finally. He doesn't look nervous, but he fiddles with the dishcloth in his hands.

"No," you say, and you realize that you didn't quite think this one through. "I was just passing through and thought I'd say 'hi.' See how New Capitol was coming along. The human government hasn't been giving you any trouble, have they?"

"Oh! No, well, there have been several, ah, 'reporters,' coming through..." His snout wrinkles. "Not the most polite of people, those, but I can't say they've caused too much trouble."

"Ah," you say, and you shake your head. You can imagine how well _that_ went down. On both sides. "Yeah, I hope they weren't too bad."

"They didn't stay long, for some reason," Asgore says with a shrug.

You snort.

  


* * *

  


You stay for a cup of tea and a half hour of stilted conversation. You still can't say that you know him at all, but... Well, you feel a bit better afterwards, anyway.

"Take care of Toriel for me, will you?" Asgore asks you when you leave.

You're a bit confused by this (why would Toriel ever need you to take care of her?) but you promise that you will.

  


* * *

  


You are nearly past the fountain in the courtyard when some odd instinct causes you to dodge left. A streak of blue light caresses your right ear, and you freeze.

You can hear shouting in the distance -

"HEY NERD! WHAT DID YOU DO TO SANS?!!"

-but it's drowned out by the rush of blood in your ears.

_\- the spears lodge inside your chest, through your back, and you can't breathe through the blood in your lungs -_

_\- you can't breathe through the blood in your lungs -_

_\- can't breathe -_

_\- can't -_

Red lines run across your vision, and everything starts to go dark.

You don't remember hitting the ground.

  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short chapter this time. Next one will be ready to go soon. :)


	13. Chapter 13

"Playe? Playe, wake up!"

Something pushes insistently against your shoulder.

"I just wanted to scare you a bit! Please, don't be dead!!!"

You groan and turn over.

"YES!!!" whoever it is shouts. "You're ALIVE!!!"

 _Rude,_ you think to yourself in Chara's voice. You cover your head with your hands, doing your best to curl into a little ball.

"No, don't go back to sleep! Get up!!!"

Instead of pushing, the voice starts poking at you.

You groan again, but open your eyes.

A very nervous-looking Undyne is staring down at you.

You blink. "Undyne?" you try to say, but all that emerges is an unintelligible croak. You feel like you were run over by a dump truck.

God, do you hate flashbacks.

"You're _BROKEN!!!"_ Undyne shrieks. "I BROKE the human!"

"I'm fine," you croak. You cough. "I'm fine," you repeat, clearly this time.

Undyne makes a scoffing noise at your utterly obvious lie, and before you know it, you find yourself swept up in her arms.

"I'm taking you to Alphys!" Undyne declares.

You can't really find it in yourself to protest.

  


* * *

  


"You know, I'm not a human doctor, r-right?" Alphys asks, handing you some sort of sucker.

"Yep," you say, unwrapping it and jamming it into your mouth. _Mmm. Snail-flavored._ You try not to cringe, and discretely eye the trash can just a few feet away.

"Yeeessss," Undyne agrees, drawing out the sound. "But you're a genius, so what's the difference?"

Alphys makes the sort of noise you would expect to hear from a wounded iguana, and starts waving her hands in protest.

While Alphys explains the weirdness that is human biology, you take the opportunity to toss the sucker where it belongs. It bounces off the rim of the can, rolling underneath Alphys' desk. You pout in disappointment.

"Yes, but is the human broken or not?!!!" Undyne asks, waving her own hands around.

"Playe's fine," Alphys says, absently patting you on the shoulder. "I think."

"Good to know," you say. As it turns out, Undyne had caught you before you finished falling. You didn't even bruise anything.

"I didn't even hit you and you passed out," Undyne says, squinting at you. If you didn't know better, you would have thought it was a glare. Instead, the worry is almost... touching.

"Yeah," you agree. "It's... been a couple of days." You shrug. "Probably too much hiking," you say ruefully, "and not enough food."

You don't know why you can't just tell them you were having a flashback. Why you couldn't just say that the trauma was catching up to you. Would Undyne feel guilty for it? Probably. The parts she remembered, anyway. But it was better than this strange thing all of you were doing where you were pretending nothing at all had happened -

"My spear-related memories didn't help any," you add, and you rub a hand over the center of your chest.

The both of them wince.

"There was, uh, no force in that one," Undyne offers, sounding meek.

"But, ermmm..." Alphys says. "Maybe we shouldn't, uh, try that again...? At least, not anytime soon!"

"Probably a good idea," you agree, standing up. This turns out to be a bad idea, so you sit back down. You decide to wait until you're less... wobbly.

The three of you stare at each other in awkward silence, until Alphys blurts out an offer for ramen.

You all end up crammed together on Alphys' tiny couch, watching some poorly-dubbed anime featuring samurai pirates and a talking reindeer in a fancy hat.

The rest of the day is spent in a haze of pirates, ninjas, and some sort of RPG board game featuring terribly drawn joke characters and strategically thrown dice. You end up killing Death in the final boss battle.

(Appropriate, if a bit _too_ on the nose.)

  


* * *

  


It's late in the day, and your afternoon visit turned into an evening one some time ago. Alphys ventures off into the kitchen to prove that she can make something other than instant noodles, leaving you and Undyne to loiter in the living room.

"So, um, nerd - er, Playe," Undyne says. She rubs the back of her neck, sharp teeth grinning nervously. "Sorry again about that earlier. Won't do it again! But, uh, I have a question for you."

"Yeah...?" you ask. Whatever Undyne wants to know, she waited to ask until Alphys had left the room to ask. You're not sure what the question is, but you have a sinking feeling.

"I heard that something happened at Grillby's, the other day. Between you and Sans. He looked pretty upset. And then, the day after, you left. Just... vanished. Papyrus says you left without telling anyone. And Toriel said that it's been a couple of days, and you still haven't come back."

Now that you think about it, you do remember a number of people giving you both concerned looks that night. One of them must have said something. The monster kingdom was very much like a small town, you reflected.

"Did you two, ah, break up?"

You blink. And you blink again. "What...?" you ask, finally.

"You know, because of the... Toriel thing." Undyne makes some weird hand gesture to describe the "thing." It doesn't help.

"The... Toriel thing," you repeat. It still doesn't process.

"They were friends, and... you know," Undyne says. "But now you all live together? Yeah." She shrugs. "Gotta be awkward."

"What...? Oh." _Hunh._ You had forgotten about that. There was a reason why you were once afraid of Papyrus giving you a shovel talk. Now it seems like you are getting an ice cream and sad movies talk from Undyne. It isn't quite as terrifying, but somehow much more mortifying. You blush a deep shade of red.

"We weren't, uh," you try to explain.

"Yeah, Papyrus said you were both really bad at dating," Undyne continues, talking over you. "It's still sad. I was rooting for you! Well. It's good that you dumped him, I guess, if he's in love with someone else. I was all ready to be mad at you, but you're just so mopey that I can't be. Pocky?"

You take the proffered stick of pocky and crunch on it numbly. You hadn't noticed Sans was in love with Toriel.

_Wait, then why did Asgore ask_ me _to take care of her?!_

  


* * *

  


_'I'm at Alphys' and Undyne's place for tonight,'_ you send out later that night on a group text. _'Should be back before lunch tomorrow.'_

Your phone buzzes for about a minute straight as all of the replies hit.

You scroll through them adding, _'nah, weather's fine - just decided to take the long way down. Realized I hadn't come by here for a bit, thought I'd check to see what's changed.'_

Your phone buzzes once more after that - a private text from Toriel. _'Undyne was asking to speak to you the other day - something about Grillby's and an argument? Whatever it was, Sans refused to speak of it.'_

You squint at your phone for a moment. _'Not an argument - just a talk. Got a bit emotional, so we went somewhere more private. Undyne's already asked about it - but thanks for letting me know.'_

  



	14. Chapter 14

You make it home the next morning, as you had promised. You feel... not better, exactly, but not as conflicted either. There are wounds within you, and you might never recover from them. But the friends you made were real. And you've come to understand that.

"There you are!" Chara exclaims when you walk into the kitchen. They glare. "Frisk was worried," they say.

You wince. "Yeah." You thought that would happen.

"Frisk doesn't understand yet," Chara says. "So you need to explain. You always come back. It's what you do."

  


* * *

  


The rest of the day is a mix of worried fretting from the others and you trying to reassure Frisk that, no, you weren't going to leave again. Sans hovers in the background through it all.

You help Toriel make dinner that night, Papyrus observing everything like he was live on-stage at his favorite cooking show. After it's done and everyone's eaten their fill, you set the others to doing dishes and go to track down Sans. It's time you finished your talk, after all.

You find him sitting outside in the backyard.

"Hey," you say, and you sit down next to him.

He observes you warily.

"I've done a bit of thinking, over the past few days," you say, staring out over your lawn. "I think I might have given you the wrong impression, at some point."

Sans tries to hide it, but you can see the flinch.

"Do you remember how we met?" you ask conversationally. "I mean, when we met for real - not the first time. You scared the hell out of me. But all I could do was go forward. And if that meant facing you, then..."

"Yeah," Sans said, his voice low. "I remember."

"So, yeah," you say. "I can see how you would get the wrong impression." You certainly had the wrong impression of _him_.

You can almost feel his confusion at your words.

"Did you know Undyne and Alphys think we're dating?" you ask. "And Papyrus too, apparently. He says we're really bad at it. I kind of agree with him."

His eyes bulge and his face blushes a bright blue. "What?!!!!" he exclaims, his voice strangled.

"Sans," you say, and you look him straight in the eyes. "I wasn't pretending."

  


* * *

  


Things are different, after that. There's still - a _lot_ \- of misconceptions to clear up, on everyone's part, but all of you find your way through.

Then there comes one evening, after a hard day's work, when you stretch out across the couch in your completed house, your feet in Toriel's lap and Sans curled up asleep between the both of you with his head on your belly.

The kids and Alphys are playing some version of Mario Kart on the game console in the living room, while Papyrus and Undyne bake a cake in the kitchen (they've gotten a lot better.) It's the last day of summer before Toriel's new school opens, and everyone intends to cram in as much summer fun as they can before then.

The radio switches to a new song - the latest hit by Napstablook and your old bandmate, Shyren. Mettaton is singing backup this time.

Toriel looks up at you from her notes and course outline and the two of you exchange a smile.

It's truly a brand new world.

  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! The story ends here, but there might be some edits and additional material later on down the line. Hope you all enjoyed!


End file.
